Venezuela is close to collapse:

http://bigstory.ap.org/urn:publicid:ap.org:ff0d1ebb800f4f3d9b7bcbb81b1fead7

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan cities cleaned up from a night of looting and fiery protests Wednesday as government offices closed their doors for the rest of the week in the face of a worsening energy crisis that is causing daily blackouts.

The socialist administration began imposing a four-hour daily blackout around the country this week to save power. Then on Tuesday, President Nicolas Maduro announced that millions of officials will now work only Monday and Tuesday.

Angry residents in darkened towns around the country took to the streets Tuesday night, setting up flaming barricades and raiding shops for bread and other scarce food.

On Wednesday, hundreds of police fanned out around the western city of Maracaibo after a night of looting on darkened streets. Venezuela is among the world's most violent countries, and crime generally spikes here when the lights go out.

The administration says the water level behind the nation's largest dam has fallen to near its minimum operating level because of a severe drought. Experts say lack of planning and maintenance is also to blame.

Caracas is being spared from the rolling blackouts, and has not seen violent protests. Some here complain that the country is starting to resemble the dystopian series "The Hunger Games," in which districts suffer for the benefit of the heartless capital city...

So obviously the thing to do is accelerate that collapse by hiking the minimum wage:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-hikes-minimum-wage-30-percent-amid-economic-38791913

Venezuela's president is ordering a 30 percent increase in the minimum wage, the latest move by the socialist government to grapple with high inflation and economic stagnation.

The boost announced Saturday night by President Nicolas Maduro comes after a 25 percent increase on March 1.

The new increase is effective Sunday, which is International Labor Day, and will push the minimum wage to 15,051 bolivars a month. That is about $1,500 at the official exchange rate, but is around $50 at the current black market rate, which largely sets prices of goods for Venezuelans.

Venezuela's oil export-dependent economy shrank 5.7 percent last year, shortages of basic goods multiplied and prices soared....